Nightmare
by ThiccAnko
Summary: The Kyuubi is the strongest demon in existence. That much has always been known. But what those in the shinobi nations did not know is that the Kyuubi is angry. Furious, even. And when demons are angered, their wrath is anything but merciful. Kurama's wrath spreads to everyone in the shinobi nations, and her plans unfold on everyone. One by one.
1. The Homecoming

"HELLOOOO KONOHAAAA!"

The Legendary Sannin with white hair grinned and crossed his arms. He was looking up at the blonde boy standing atop of a large pillar that allowed him to oversee the entire village, shaking his head at his hyperactivity. He couldn't blame him, though. Konoha was his home. And after three years of traveling, Jiraiya was a bit surprised the kid didn't start kissing the earth he walked on as soon as they stepped through the gates.

Naruto Uzumaki sighed with a joyful smile gracing his lips. It felt great to be back home. Everything about the village was practically unchanged, except for the carving of Tsunade's face on the Hokage Monument beside the Fourth Hokage's. It made him excited to see how everyone had changed and grown, seeing as he was aware that he had gone through some changes himself. He was no longer the same scrawny, loud-mouthed kid he was when he left the village, that much was certain.

"As much as you've grown, you're still as hyper as ever, huh?"

Naruto would recognize that smooth and nonchalant tone of voice anywhere. He searched around until he spotted his sensei sitting on the roof of a building below him, reading his favorite orange-covered book as always.

His one exposed eye looked at him while he sent him a wave, "Yo, Naruto. Welcome back."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping from the one-hundred foot pillar he stood on to land right in front of the Sharingan bearer, "You haven't changed at all!"

Kakashi smiled at him, "I can't say the same to you. You've definitely grown up quite a bit."

Naruto chuckled coyly until a thought suddenly interrupted him. He reached into the backpack that he wore, digging around for something, "Oh yeah! I've held on to this so I can give it to you."

"A gift?" Kakashi inquired with low-to-mild curiosity, "You don't have to—"

As Naruto pulled the object out of his bag, Kakashi's eye widened immensely.

"N-Naruto...?! Is that...?!"

The blue-eyed boy chuckled as he handed Kakashi an orange book that was similar to the one in his hand.

"Yup! It's the latest in the Icha Icha Paradise series, the first in three years!" As Kakashi's shaky hands grasped the book from Naruto, he shrugged, "But those books are boring to me. So I figured you can have it, since I know you're obsessed with them."

Kakashi was a giddy as a child who just received a bucket of candy.

After a small amount of catching up with his sensei, Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kakashi all walked together towards the Hokage tower, as Naruto was eager to see the village leader after the past few years. As Naruto rushed on, Kakashi and Jiraiya trailed behind.

"The latest edition is great so far." Kakashi said to the white-haired man, unable to turn his eyes away from the book's pages, "I wouldn't imagine that Naruto would have allowed the past three years to have been dedicated to just updating the story, correct?"

"You got that right." The Sannin replied, grinning, "You're lucky I had time at all to write it, considering Naruto would barely let me wash my own ass without nagging me about more training."

Kakashi chuckled, "Sounds about right. Naruto always was relentless about his training."

"Yup. Now I'm passing him off to you, just as we agreed." Jiraiya then leaned closer to the Jounin, lowering his voice, "The Akatsuki will probably start making moves now that he's here again. I'm going back to intel gathering to see what more I can find out."

Kakashi tore his eye away from the book to give his sensei's sensei a solemn nod, "Got it."

"And hey..." Jiraiya added, "Keep an eye on Naruto. I've been doing some experimenting to help him better control the Kyuubi's chakra, and let's just say that I've... seen some things worth taking note of. There's still a lot we don't understand about the power of the Kyuubi."

The cyclops Jounin wondered exactly what Jiraiya had seen, but before he could ask—

"Sakura-chan...?!"

"Naruto?"

Naruto stopped mid-stride upon seeing his teammate again for the first time in three years. He couldn't help but blush as he watched the coral-haired woman turn around to look at him. She had grown, too. And quite nicely from what Naruto could see.

Sakura's emerald eyes lit up as she spotted him, running towards him with a big smile on her face, "Naruto, hi! Welcome back home!"

"Thanks, Sakura! Man, you've definitely changed quite a bit since I last saw you!"

Jiraiya grinned as he watched Naruto catch up with his teammate. It made him reminisce of his old days when he was on a squad with the woman who had just walked up beside him.

"Reminds you of the good ol' days, eh Jiraiya?" The Godaime Hokage asked him, a smirk touching her lips.

"It's like you can read my mind sometimes, Hime." He replied, "Looking at Naruto and Sakura makes you wonder how they'd feel once they start turning into old bags like us, doesn't it?"

"Speak for yourself." Tsunade scoffed jokingly, "You're the only old bag here as far as I'm concerned."

Jiraiya shook his head, "Don't let that jutsu of yours convince you that we're not the same age, Hime. You may look young, but that has nothing to do with the fact that we're _both_ only about a decade away from getting to the Third's age before his passing."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Sighed Tsunade, "Anyway, how was the training? You didn't spend three years teaching him how to peep on women in the hot springs, did you?"

"Of course not. That's going to come when he gets old enough to appreciate the works of art known as my writing so he can pass on my legacy after I kick the bucket."

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

Jiraiya chuckled, but frowned the next second after, "On a serious note... we have to talk later. About the Kyuubi." He whispered to her.

His teammate turned her head to look at him, "Why, what's wrong?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms, "I've been feeling pretty uneasy about the Kyuubi lately. Naruto's seal is still in effect, but... there was some things that I've seen and experienced that I wouldn't classify as immediately urgent, but is still something I think is worth keeping an eye on."

Tsunade didn't reply right away. She stood there, watching as Naruto got plummeted by a currently angry Sakura due to him competing his Oiroke no Jutsu against Konohamaru's right in front of her.

"I see. We'll talk later." She told him.

* * *

_***Later That Day***_

Somewhere in a forest within Training Ground Seven, Naruto and Sakura sat down behind a tree, panting in an attempt to catch their breath.

"Man..." Naruto huffed, "Kakashi-sensei isn't playing around like he did when we first did the bell test..."

Sakura tiredly nodded in agreement, "You're telling me. I guess he recognizes that we're both a lot stronger than we were then."

"No kidding! Especially you, Sakura-chan! Baa-chan has really been teaching you a thing or two!"

Sakura smiled, and turned her head to look at him, "Yeah, I—"

As soon as Sakura's eyes connected with Naruto's, she found that her heart stopped beating, similar to the feeling of dropping down at the top of a large roller coaster. A feeling of maliciousness washed through her entire core, and visions of darkness rapidly shifted in and out around the environment she and Naruto were in. Her heart began accelerating as she watched her teammate's pupils shift from their oceanic blue color, to a ghastly shade of red.

Goosebumps started to form all over her, and tiny hairs on the back of Sakura's neck stood on end. She could feel foul chakra, and it was thick enough to feel as though it were possible to cut it with a knife...

She wanted to say something, but Naruto's stare locked her solidly in place and trapped her words in her throat. He was looking at her with intensity that was the exact opposite of his normal friendly gaze.

It was a look that practically dripped with malevolence. The look of someone who would not hesitate to kill.

**"It will begin with you." **He declared to her in a voice that wasn't anything like his normal voice. This voice was much deeper. Sinister. Practically every syllable of his sentence drove terror into her soul.

"Wh-What...?!" She sputtered. She was absolutely disoriented at the shift in atmosphere. As the light that nature provided for them continued flickering on and off as if someone were toying with a switch...

Suddenly, it stopped.

"I said are you okay?" Naruto said to her, looking at her with concern in his eyes, "You just spaced out there for a second..."

Sakura could still feel her heart pounding. Her eyes frantically scanned their surroundings, only to find nothing out of place. For a second, it felt as if the atmosphere around her paralyzed her, unable to do anything else except look Naruto in his blood red eyes. Looking at her with utmost hostility. Those eyes penetrated through her soul like a flashlight that shone through a glass window.

But now, those eyes were back to normal. Looking at her with concern, and a bit of confusion.

"Wh... what was that...?" She asked herself more than anyone else. Nothing in all of her days of living had she ever experienced anything like that.

"What was what?" Asked Naruto, "Did you see something? Did Kakashi-sensei catch you in a Genjutsu like he did before?"

Sakura searched her mind to come up with a logical answer, and concluded that it must have been what Naruto said. Kakashi caught her in a Genjutsu. What else could it have possibly been?

"Y-Yeah, maybe." Sakura shook her head in an attempt to brush it off, "If that's the case, let's move. Kakashi-sensei probably knows where we are."

"Right!" Naruto nodded before taking off with her.

However, no matter how much Sakura tried to focus on the task of completing their bell test, her mind continued replaying what happened. Every time she thought about it, the feelings that she had then would wash over her slightly.

It wasn't something she could just shake off. A Genjutsu would make the most sense, but... it didn't feel like a genjutsu.

Something wasn't adding up.

Something wasn't right.

* * *

_***About an Hour Later***_

"You two have certainly gotten a lot stronger in the past few years." Team Seven's squad leader said as they walked down Konoha's streets, "Although, part of me wants to call foul for threatening to spoil the book you just gave me..."

"It still counts, though!" Naruto said with a huge smile, his hands behind his head, "A true shinobi capitalizes on his opponent's weaknesses at any given opportunity! It's not my fault you're so attached your book."

Kakashi chuckled, "Jiraiya has been teaching you a lot, I see. I almost want to think that you giving me the book was part of your plan from the start."

Naruto only giggled mischievously. His attention was then shifted to the silent woman walking beside him to his left, "Hey, Sakura? You okay?"

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and whipped her head to look at him, "Hm?"

"You've been pretty quiet since we left the training grounds." Naruto said, his tone of voice displaying his concern, "I just want to make sure everything is alright."

"Yeah... everything's fine." Sakura said unconvincingly. Naruto looked her over with an eyebrow raised. She seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him. He started to wonder if perhaps he did something to upset her, but Sakura was never the type to hide her feelings. Especially not when he was the cause.

Any further thoughts on the matter was derailed when Naruto began to stumble upon his lazy pal Shikamaru and Temari from Suna walking in his direction.

"Shikamaru? Temari? What's up, guys!" Naruto greeted.

As Naruto began to chat with the two Jounin in front of her, Sakura decided that she wanted to get down to the bottom of something that's been bothering her for the past twenty minutes.

She walked a few feet to her sensei and tapped on his shoulder to grab his attention, "Kakashi-sensei? Quick question."

Kakashi peered away from his book to look at her, "Hm? Fire away, Sakura."

"Did you use a Genjutsu on me when we were fighting earlier today?"

Kakashi shook his head.

"No. I've always known that your chakra control was good enough to sense Genjutsu better than either of your teammates, so I avoided the use of it on you specifically while we were fighting."

A cold sweat-drop dripped down the back on Sakura's neck, _"So then... what the hell was that?"_

Kakashi made his curiosity known, "Why do you ask?"

The Cherry Blossom looked at the ground in thought. She was having trouble figuring out how to explain what she experienced to him. It didn't make sense to her, so how could she make it make sense to someone else?

"Uh, it's nothing." Sakura responded, "I think I just... caught a bit of a heat flash. You know, running around in the heat and all."

"Oh." Said Kakashi, looking back at his book, "Well, be sure that you're staying hydrated. The last thing you'd want is to pass out in the middle of a battle."

Sakura nodded, still distracted with the thoughts clouding her mind. She figured that since nothing came from it, and everything around her seemed normal, it was best to not linger too much on it. For all she knew, it could have all been in her head. Maybe she didn't get enough rest last night, or had some crazy dream that she subconsciously relived. Who knows.

With that dismissal set in place, Sakura decided to join in on her teammates conversation with Shikamaru and Temari, and simply enjoy the company of her allies and friends.

* * *

_***Later That Night***_

Naruto approached his old apartment building with a large amount of nostalgia in his system. One of the first things he noticed when he got home was how much he missed the steps that he used to get to his apartment building. He remembered the brief period of time he used those steps to train himself before he had even became a Genin. And remembered that there were fourteen steps. He counted them many times back then when forcing himself to do drills.

Upon entering the apartment, he had almost forgotten the way the building smelled, which rarely smelled _bad, _but never really smelled good. It was the smell of a semi-clean wooden complex, that probably was more than a few decades old.

The Uzumaki stepped into the apartment, sighing from the nostalgia that magnified within him. He had spent a lot of time alone in here. A lot of that time he'd spent with a smile on his face. A lot of that time he'd spent with tears in his eyes.

Battling the threat of allowing his not so great memories to ruin his first night back home, Naruto remembered that he's different now. Stronger. Smarter. Tougher. Naruto was not the same scrawny kid he used to be, and he recalled how even Jiraiya gave him at least that much credit.

After replacing some of his belongings in their rightful spots, Naruto showered and went to bed. He was actually pretty tired. After a combination of waking up bright and early to take off for Konoha earlier that day, traveling a decent amount of miles to Konoha on foot, training with Kakashi and Sakura, and _engorging_ himself with pounds of Ichiraku's ramen after not having any after three years, he concluded he had every right to be tired.

He turned off his lights and gotten into his bed, remarking at how much smaller it felt to him than it used to. But it was still a decently sized futon, so it wasn't like he outgrew it. As he closed his eyes to drift off, a recap of his entire day replayed in his mind, preventing him from actually doing so.

He thought about how much everyone had changed. Kakashi and Tsunade seemed to be about the same, but Sakura was... indescribable. She truly blossomed into a beautiful young woman. She seemed kinder, less harsh... and he could tell that she really missed him. She could still pack a punch however, and it hurt a lot more too. He admitted to his poor taste of using the Oiroke no Jutsu after he had _just_ reunited with her. And considering how much stronger she had gotten over the years, and how Sakura's punch only caused him a minor nosebleed, he concluded that he should be grateful she held back on her strength for his sake. If she could crush boulders and break the earth's surface below them with her fists, he could only imagine what she could do to him if he wasn't more careful.

But otherwise, Sakura was still Sakura. It's good to see that friendships can last years. He hadn't truly been experienced with friends enough to know that growing up.

But as he thought about it more, he recalled her acting weird when they finished their bell test. Usually Sakura wasn't afraid to celebrate with him when they accomplished things together. They had beaten their sensei, after all, even without Sasuke. That was surely an accomplishment that he would have thought Sakura would have been more excited for, but she wasn't. She seemed distracted. And somewhat almost like she was afraid of him? Did he do something by accident when he was fighting alongside her?

Figuring that he could try to address his thoughts to her tomorrow morning, Naruto's mind shifted towards his other friends he saw today. Shikamaru and Temari were freaking Jounin! As in, the same ranking as Kakashi-sensei! And to top it all off, the laziest person in his graduating year had obtained it. And here he was... still a Genin. Even Sakura was a Chuunin. So was probably everyone else in his graduating year, too.

However, instead of beating himself up over it, Naruto concluded that he was here now. He had simply taken a break to get stronger. And now that he's back, he could easily climb up the ladder to become Hokage. And rescue Sasuke from falling into the hands of Orochimaru. He had begun to wonder how much Sasuke had changed as well, but trained himself on shutting that thought out. It had only taken him just about three years to learn how to do it.

Setting that final thought in place, Naruto managed to drift off. Letting his mind wander freely and embrace the ambiance of his first night back in Konohagakure.

...

Then, there was darkness.

Most people who sleep at night require darkness and silence in order to go to sleep. But this was not the kind of darkness that Naruto was experiencing. This darkness was different.

He couldn't see a thing. Some people can say that they see flashes of color and shapes flashing when their eyes are closed long enough, and Naruto was one of those people. But he couldn't see them now like he did a few moments ago. All he saw was black. Pitch black. The kind of darkness that's disorienting because you can't even see your own hands in front of your face. In a dark room, a human's eyes can adapt to it's darkness if there's at least something in the room. But there was absolutely no light within sight. Just darkness.

Naruto stood there. He was used to this by now. Jiraiya had told him that it could be a form of sleep paralysis when this first happened. But from what Jiraiya told him, sleep paralysis was pretty much like being stuck in a dream or nightmare.

But this felt nothing like a dream.

The best way he could describe it was that he could see himself from the outside, but still somehow saw from his own eyes. He remembered using that form of description to explain it to Jiraiya, and confessed that it must sound pretty confusing when said out loud.

And the silence. It was deafening. The only sounds he could hear was from his own breathing. But no other sounds could be heard, not even so much as a small gust of wind or the wood of his apartment shifting in its place like he'd usually hear when sitting in his bedroom. There was just... nothing.

Once Naruto blinked, someone instantly appeared right in front of him. Naruto wasn't surprised because he'd seen it coming. She would always appear when things got like this. And despite him not being able to see anything, she was always the only thing he _could_ see.

**"Hello, Naruto."**

Naruto still wasn't sure where or _what _this environment was around him, but where ever it was, it sounded... endless. The voice echoed, but yet, he couldn't hear or see what the sound waves could bounce off from. It wasn't the same cellar/basement kind of room that he used to see the fox in when he was younger, it was like the environment changed along with her physical form. This place just seemed like _nowhere_. Somewhere where time and matter did not exist.

Naruto's eyes were glued to the glowing red ones in front of him. No matter how many times he'd looked at them, they always disrupted something within his soul. But it was also calm and familiar at the same time. Somewhat like what it'd be like to stare a lion in the eyes while the lion was only but an inch away from being able to rip into you due to a chain leash that was just too short. You know it could destroy you. It knows that it could destroy you. But you both know that it wouldn't happen. Or at least not within that moment. But you know it wants to. Really bad.

"Kyuubi." Naruto spoke. After so many times of this, he had come to realize that a calm approach usually made things less... problematic, "Hello."

He admitted that his discovery in finding out the Kyuubi no Yoko was female surprised him every time he saw her. And somehow, he thought that it would make the demon appear less intimidating, especially since she was very attractive. But that only made her appear all the more terrifying. He'd often wondered if the 'fox' form of her was her true form, or if it was this one. And Naruto would think that a giant and monstrous looking fox would appear more frightening than a woman that was only a bit taller than him. But that was not the case.

This form was much different, and not just from a physical standpoint. The energy in the air was similar to how it would feel when in her presence while she was a fox, but this version of her could drive fear into a person's heart as easily as a nail could penetrate an inflated balloon. She seemed to communicate through her eyes, letting Naruto know how she felt about him without even saying a word. She saw him as the only rabbit that was in his way from getting a hold of all the other rabbits around him.

**"Welcome home."** She said to him. The intentions in her eyes had not changed. They haven't for quite a while, **"It seems as though you've had a good day. I'm glad."**

Those eyes still remained unchanged. They continued to bear into his pupils stoically, yet venomously.

"I find that hard to believe." Said Naruto.

**"I am genuinely happy for you. You're going to need days like that to look back on."**

Naruto remained just as expressionless. Even with the strong vibes emitting from the powerful demon, he mastered the formation of his mask while standing in front of her. She used to prey on his fear. But then, as he learned not to feel afraid, she had stopped attempting to scare him. The only thing that frightened him about her was her eyes, and the fact that things were changing between them. And as good as Naruto got at hiding his fears, he knew that she could still tell he was afraid. Even when he did everything he could to prove otherwise.

She stood about three inches taller than him, so her leer was cast down to him from above. Her hair was the color of flames, containing strands of red, orange, and a small amount of blonde, and it reached down to her backside in a long and straight, but unkempt style. The color of her eyes held the deepest shade of red most could imagine, almost exactly like the color of blood. Her eye shape was prominent. Calm. But somehow also bloodthirsty. That's what made looking in her eyes truly terrifying, considering there was a magnitude of different emotions expressions that he could interpret from them. Her skin was pale, and she held a constant scowl to her thin lips that matched the expression of her eyes. Her face in general was stoically beautiful, similar to the face of an attractive housewife who was also dead set on killing a husband that she hated. One who has also killed many times before.

As Naruto continued seeing this form of her, he noted that she always wore a very long red dress, one that sprawled out over the ground beneath their feet at the end. The upper part was styled similar to that of a corset, accentuating her curves, and covering everything just below her bust. And the lower part covered everything underneath it as well, even the surrounding parts of the ground below her feet.

Her hands were small, but her nails stretched out more than her fingers did, and shifted from a bright red color to pitch black as the nails reached from the base to the tip. They practically made her hands look like claws. Claws that could easily gut anyone with human flesh.

"What are you up to?" Asked Naruto.

**"The same thing I've always been up to since I've gotten sealed inside you." **She answered, **"I'm going to become free from you, Naruto. Sooner than you may think."**

"The seal is still in tact." Naruto stated, crossing his arms, "Jiraiya said—"

**"The man who's proclaimed to be a master of seals." **She interjected, **"He is a fool. He doesn't know enough about me or this seal to understand that I would never permanently be contained by something primitive that you humans could come up with. I am a demon. I have been around for eons. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Fuinjutsu... I know more about what you all call 'shinobi arts' than you humans could ever fathom. The seal may still be in tact, but it is not the same as it used to be. As you can see, we're not in the same environment I used to dwell in. Things are different. Changing. And I am the one who wills it."**

"But you still aren't free." Naruto responded. Even though she was a terrifying being, he could never bring himself to cower to her, "I still hold the key to your cell. As long as you're here, you're not going anywhere else."

The Kyuubi's slit pupils dilated.

**"Humans. Always trying to capture and contain anything they can get their hands on for their own personal agenda. Always thinking you can control everything and play God. You all sicken me." **She spat. Very rarely did the demon smile, but when she did, it was always a sickly one. It would make one wonder how she could make an expression that exhibits joy and happiness seem so sinister, **"That is why the human race must become extinct. You all are nothing but a communion of leeches and parasites. Once I become free, I will do this miserable planet a favor by killing you and every human I set my eyes on. You will see soon enough."**

Naruto's stare didn't waiver. After spending years with this being, he came to realize that nothing ever comes from her threats. He had been containing her for practically seventeen years. What could she do to a seal that one of the most renowned shinobi currently living in Konoha said was fail-proof?

"Good luck." Naruto shrugged, "You've been telling me these things for quite a while."

**"Indeed, I have. But things are different now. I promise you that."**

The Kyuubi and Naruto stared off for well over a few seconds.

"You don't scare me." He said.

**"Oh, but you should be scared." **The Demoness responded quickly, **"You have absolutely no idea what I am capable of."**

She stepped forward little by little until Naruto's vision was almost completely blocked by her tall figure. Their eyes were still locked on each other until she leaned forward to inch her face so close to his to the point where he thought she was going to attempt to kiss him. But just before their lips met, she moved her face to line her mouth up to his ear.

**"You will be last." **She promised, **"For your insolent and arrogant behavior, I will kill everyone you know and love first. One by one. And then I will kill everyone else around you. One by one. And once you witness the death of everyone you know and don't know around you, I will end your wreched life. Slowly, but beautifully. I will create a whole new definition of pain and horror for you. I will make you want to embrace the arms of death, as it will be the only and final way to end the suffering that I will bring down upon you."**

She then pulled away. Naruto admittedly found that he had hairs standing up on the back of his neck.

**"Until then, you will see that your atonement for your insolence has started. It is happening around you right now as we speak, and you don't even know it. You humans have gotten away with a lot, but now you will all pay the price. That is a promise."**

Naruto blinked and she was no longer there. He reunited with nothing but darkness once again.

"Yeah, right." He scoffed out loud, knowing that she could hear him even though she was not visibly there, "I'll believe it when I see it."


	2. Initiation

Sakura tossed and turned in her bed uncontrollably. Her heart was pounding, and sweat covered every inch of her body. Simultaneously, however, she was shivering. It was a strange feeling to feel as though you were burning up and freezing at the same time. Her skin was sensitive, and anything that touched her made her physically uncomfortable.

Was she coming down with a fever? If so, why did it hit her so suddenly?

After a few more minutes, her breathing had become uncontrolled and she felt a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach as if someone was pushing down on it. She felt acid regurgitating up into her mouth, along with a lot of other things. She couldn't shove it down. It was coming up, and it was coming up fast.

Her original plan was to muscle up the energy to run over to her bathroom and kneel over her toilet, but that plan was quickly dismissed as she rolled over. She barely had time to even hang her face over the edge of her futon before her dinner launched itself out through her esophagus. Sakura wretched painfully as she up-chucked all over the floor. Her stomach had soon stopped convulsing for only a second before it started up again.

Sakura gripped her sheets tightly as she threw up even more. It was even coming out her nose and it was burning the inside of her nostrils. She was beginning to worry. She was throwing up way more than just her dinner.

Once she finally stopped, she spat out the bitter substances that remained in her mouth and began sobbing. Her tears mixed in with her pool of vomit, wondering why this was happening to her. Wondering what was happening to her.

She sniffled and opened her eyes to see globs of red mixed in with the green and brown mess on the floor. She didn't eat anything red that day. That was... blood. Why was she throwing up blood?

_"I gotta find Tsunade-sama..." _Sakura told herself. She didn't know what was going on, but if anyone could help, it would be her. It was well past midnight, so she was probably asleep, but at this point, Sakura had no room to care. Something was happening to her.

Sakura wiped her mouth and nose from any bits of half-digested food that lingered and tried to muscle herself up off the bed. It was becoming more and more difficult to actually do so the more she tried to move. It just felt as though her strength was being drained from her from the inside.

Pushing herself to get to her feet, Sakura's knees buckled once she stood up. Her room began to spin all around her, and taking a step forward proved to be a mistake. She stumbled and fell flat on her stomach, with her jaw hitting the hardwood floors hard enough to nearly crack a tooth.

She groaned and grunted at the different amounts and types of pain she was feeling all at once. Her fortune only seemed to worsen when she felt liquid dripping from her left nostril. She reached her hand to her face to touch the droplet and closed her eyes upon seeing her fingertip covered in blood.

_"What is happening to me...?" _Sakura had started to sob again, _"Why am I going through this...? What the hell is going on...?!"_

The thought that she was going to die in such an unexpected manner was drilling deeper into her mindset. She couldn't move. She was vomiting profusely, with hints of blood in it. She was having a nosebleed, and she felt as though she were suddenly hit with some kind of plague. The combination of her symptoms didn't add up to any one illness or condition she could think of. It didn't make sense.

**"Hello, Sakura Haruno."**

Sakura's eyes shot open. She moved out of her mom's home sometime after Naruto left, so she had an entire apartment to herself. She scanned her surroundings and couldn't find the source of the voice.

**"Don't bother looking for me, for I am not in your world. Physically, you are alone."**

The young kunoichi hadn't the slightest clue as to what was going on. Was she dreaming? Or going insane? She could tell that the owner of the voice was female, but could also tell that it wasn't human. The undertone and paranormality of the voice, along with the fact that it sounded as though it were in her head, caused her to think that she could possibility be suffering from schizophrenia, even though the thought lasted for just a second.

"Who... who's there?" She hesitantly asked out loud.

**"I am Kyuubi no Yoko. I am the demon spirit that lies within your teammate."**

That response had thrown Sakura off. Of course Sakura knew of Naruto's demon sealed within him, but she'd never seen anything in regards to it's presence. Questions bombarded her mind like a thousand troops approaching a battlefield and she was having a rough time trying to figure out how to respond.

"H-How are you communicating with me?" She decided to ask first.

**"A small amount of my chakra lies within you. That is also the reason why you are in the state you are in right now. Your body is too weak to handle the potency of my chakra."**

Sakura's heart began to pound faster and harder. A demon's chakra was inside her? It explained the condition she was in, but she still had many more questions.

"Why... *cough* is your chakra inside me...? Why are you targeting me?"

**"I have a plan for you. I told you earlier that it will begin with you."**

So that's what it was, Sakura discovered. She was going to ask what this _plan _consisted of until her lungs forced her to cough harshly. Her throat stung painfully with each cough, and remembered the condition of her body when she saw more blood in the hand that she coughed in.

"...Am I going to die...?" Sakura asked feebly. She felt incredibly weak, as though the chakra was literally sucking away her life force.

**"No." **Sakura's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that answer, **"My plans for you right now has nothing to do with killing you. For what I have in store, I need you."**

The young Chuunin's kunoichi pride started to kick in after hearing that. She was well aware that this was the demon fox that almost wiped out her home and killed many shinobi before her time. Anything that the Kyuubi planned to use her for couldn't be for anything good.

"If that's the case... I'd rather die." She said defiantly, "I don't know what it is that you plan to do, but if it involves using me to do anything against my loved ones, I'd sooner put a blade to my throat than let you do that."

Sakura sat there in suspense when she didn't get an immediate response. She heard low chuckling after a few minutes, and she knew that wasn't a good sign.

**"Foolish little girl. Do you truly think that you have the power to interrupt my plans? My essence is inside you now, and it is spreading. Once it reaches your brain, I will have complete control over you. The sickness you are feeling is due to my chakra breaking down and replacing bits and pieces of you, little by little. Soon, you will be my pawn. And there is _nothing_ you can do to stop it."**

Sakura Haruno now knew what her next objective was; to find the closest kunai, and drag it across her throat. The Kyuubi caught this thought and began to let out another dark chuckle. She was in her head.

**"So noble. Your willingness to end your own life to stop my wrath on your loved ones was instantaneous and admirable. But it is also foolish and futile."**

Sakura grounded her teeth and tried to get herself off the floor during Kyuubi's talking. But it was no use. She could feel the Kyuubi's chakra wearing her down second by second. She couldn't even utilize her chakra. All she could do was lie there and struggle.

"D-Damn it..." Sakura plopped back onto the ground in defeat. There was nothing more she could do. "Why... why are you doing this...?!"

**"You humans have forced my hand." **Replied the Nine-Tail's spirit, **"The reason I attacked your village was because you pathetic creatures found a way to control me, use me for your personal gain, and seal me away multiple times since the formation of what you all call 'shinobi'. It has happened excessively, time and time again. I am simply making sure I stop this cycle once and for all."**

"There are innocents!" Sakura pleaded, "Not everyone has done that to you!"

**"Humans are all the same, and therefore cannot be trusted. Humans don't know how to simply coexist and truly be peaceful. You all have deemed me as a senseless destructive monster and have either feared me, or tried to manipulate me. Now, I will show you that I am far from senseless. I have sat back and formatted a plan that will demonstrate that I can cause destruction in a more calculated fashion. I've studied you all for thousands of years, and have come to learn human weaknesses and strengths, and will use this information to do what should have been done a long time ago; save the world from the plague known as the human race. This will be final."**

Sakura began sobbing again. She wasn't sure what was going to happen at this point. She prayed that Naruto would somehow find her and save her, like he usually would. But how could he? Unless he could somehow be notified of what was happening to her, it wasn't likely that he would come. Not only that, but even if he could find her, what would he be able to do? The Kyuubi was apparently breaking her down from the inside. She'd been studying up a lot on anatomy and the chakra system, and she was almost positive that there was no way to stop this... infection.

Her tears only lasted for a short moment, as she figured she'd face death, or whatever comes beyond this point, with a sense of nobility.

"I know you may be pissed at the world..." The young Chuunin was hardly even conscious at this point. The pain was having an effect on her similar to that of inebriation. It was making her slightly delirious, despite her tough battle to keep her sanity. But it was just too much. No human alive could have enough pain tolerance to withstand the pain she was feeling, "But... whatever you plan to do won't take us out. Someone will stop you."

She was beginning to understand that there were battles and wars that can involve beings other than humans. Spirits and even Mother Nature could start wars too, and Sakura was discovering that this was The Kyuubi's intention. It did not seem as though she was going to use an upfront 'Seek and Destroy' tactic like she's done in the past. This one was going to be more calculated and indirect. What the Kyuubi had said to her through Naruto's body earlier this day was her declaration of war.

**"You humans truly are full of yourselves, aren't you?" **She asked rhetorically, her dark spectral tone coated in a thin layer of annoyance, **"Don't you see that this is your own doing? This is punishment. Your retribution. You personally have never done anything against me, but I am only ensuring that you never will. The entire human race must pay the price, as what has been done to me hasn't been a one time offense. You all are getting what's been coming to you, with interest. It is as simple as that."**

Sakura could barely even breath. Her voice had been hoarse the whole time this had been happening, so the plan of screaming for help was taken from her. She couldn't move. She couldn't manipulate her chakra, or perform any jutsu. All she could do was lay on her bedroom floor, with a pile of vomit by her feet. Her eyes were half-lidded and lacking life. Her skin was becoming twice as pale as it usually was, and she was drenched in cold sweat.

At this point, all Sakura wanted was to die. To end this feeling. And to stop whatever it was that the Kyuubi had planned to do with her.

**"The possession is nearly complete." **Sakura was ironically relieved to hear this. She just wanted it to stop, **"In a few seconds, I will take over your body and mind. Your spirit will remain, but you will be bound and useless. You will only be able to sit back and watch your loved one's undoing."**

"Just... kill me..." Sakura struggled to utter out, "Please..."

**"You're death will come, in due time." **She promised, **"For now, you will live. But I will be in control from here on out."**

The last thing Sakura heard before drifting into unconsciousness was the Kyuubi's dark and sickly laughter. For a second, and only a second, she almost wanted to blame this on Naruto, seeing as she was suffering due to his return. But she knew it was not his fault. Naruto was a victim, too. He had no choice in this.

Soon, Sakura's vision was met with complete and total darkness. She couldn't hear a thing. She couldn't feel anything, or move. She simply existed, without the ability to do anything other than exist.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

"I don't know, Hime." Jiraiya sighed, "Trust me, I thought the same thing, too. But Naruto is becoming a promising shinobi that I think could someday surpass The Fourth."

Tsunade shook her head, "Well, at the very least we'll monitor him by giving him low ranking missions and work his way up to see how he responds to them. We have to be careful if what you're telling me is true."

The Toad Sage shrugged, "I'm not saying that's a bad plan, but you know Naruto won't have it. He's excited to prove himself as a shinobi, and the last thing he'd want right now is easy missions."

"It is what it is. Naruto will just have to deal with it for now."

As if right on cue, the three members of Squad Seven walked into the room. After waving at the three other shinobi, Jiraiya leaned closer to Tsunade to whisper, "I'm going to go back to seeing what I can dig up on the Akatsuki. Remember what I told you."

"And remember what I told you." Tsunade whispered back, "I may need you."

Jiraiya gave her a solid nod before walking over to exit the room, not before giving Naruto a quick noogie on his way out.

Tsunade looked at the three individuals with a smile on her face, "Squad Seven. How does it feel to be reunited again?"

"Great!" Naruto exclaimed, and even bigger smile on his face, "I missed you guys!"

Sakura, Kakashi, and Tsunade all smiled.

"We missed you too, Naruto. The village isn't the same without you. Now I bet you're wondering what kind of mission I have set up for you, right?"

"Hell yeah!" Everyone could see that Naruto woke up high on energy this morning. Tsunade shook her head.

"Well, don't get too excited. Your first mission will be a C-rank transport mission. You will be assigned to—"

"Nuh-uh!" Interrupted Naruto with a cross of his arms, "I want at least a B-rank mission! I've been training hard with Ero-Sennin, and—!"

"I know you've been training hard, Naruto." Said Tsunade patiently, "But you have to realize that not only is it your first day back on duty, but you're still a genin. You will undoubtedly obtain higher ranking missions in the future, but I want to start you out easy and work your way up."

Naruto wasn't having it, just as Jiraiya predicted, "Come on, Baa-chan! These are missions that I was assigned to three years ago! I'm much stronger, and Sakura is a Chuunin, so why give our squad easier missions just because I'm still a genin?!"

"Take it easy, Naruto." Kakashi chided in, "You and Sakura are undoubtedly stronger, your training test proved that much. But if the Hokage feels it's best to start you out easy, none of us are in any position to question that."

"Ugh." Naruto grumbled, "This is making me wish The Third was still around..."

"What was that?" Inquired Tsunade. Sakura had reached around to put Naruto in a headlock once she saw the look on her leader's face.

"Don't mind him, Tsunade-sama! Naruto's just antsy because he's back! I'll be sure to get him to bring it down a notch! She apologized hastily, before lining her mouth up to his ear, "Baka! Quit talking back to the Hokage or else I'll give you more immediate problems to worry about!"

Naruto nodded weakly as her arm squeezed his windpipe firmly. She let him go and Naruto rubbed his neck with a pout.

However, just as Naruto was about to accept Tsunade's mission, the receptionist the worked by the entrance of the Hokage tower burst into the room with a huge sense of urgency.

"Tsunade-sama, I have terrible news!" She declared, earning everyone's attention.

"What is it?"

"We just received word that the Suna's Kazekage has been captured by the Akatsuki!"

Naruto's eyes widened upon hearing this news, "Gaara..."

Kakashi and Sakura stood there in silence. Tsunade rubbed her head. She was faced with a tough decision. Ideally, she would amend Squad Seven's mission and assign them a rescue mission to save Gaara. But after what Jiraiya had told her...

"Squad Seven, I hereby amend your current assignment." She sighed after saying this, knowing the reaction that she would receive next, "Kakashi and Sakura, I will find you another shinobi to tag along with you to head to Suna and follow their orders to help them with whatever assistance they require. Naruto, I want you to—"

"Baa-chan, I swear to God..." Naruto grunted, his jaw tightening, "You better not be telling my that I can't head out on this mission to save my friend because I'm a genin! That would be complete and total bullshit, and you know it!"

"Watch who you're talking to, Naruto." Tsunade stated with a glare, "You will—"

"NO!" Naruto barked, approaching her desk and slamming his hands on it, "My friend is out there in the hands of the Akatsuki, and you know as well as I do that if anyone could save him, it'd be me!"

"Naruto." The Godaime huffed, trying to keep her cool, "The Akatsuki is after you, too. I cannot willingly send you out there when you're a target for them as well. I—"

"But—!"

Tsunade stood up and got so close to his face, the only thing Naruto could see was her eyes, "Interrupt me again, and I swear you'll regret it. I love you Naruto, but I need you to respect my authority as Hokage. If you cannot do that, I will simply strip you of your title as a shinobi altogether and tell you to hand in that headband on your forehead. Got it?"

Kakashi and Sakura watched as Naruto and Tsunade had a stare-off, standing on either side of her desk. Naruto inevitably backed down and turned around. Everyone thought he was going to return to his original spot between Kakashi and Sakura, but he simply kept walking until he met the door.

"I can't believe everyone tells me how much I've grown, but I still end up getting treated like a child." Naruto scoffed opening the door, "What a great way to welcome me back."

"Naruto!" Sakura reached out for him, "Wait!"

Naruto stepped out of the room, slamming the door hard on his way out. Kakashi sighed and turned to his leader, "Do you want me to go after him?"

Tsunade sighed as well, "There's no time. I want you two to head to Suna. I'll assign Shikamaru to meet you at the gates with Temari."

"Hai!" The two nodded before exiting the room.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, a grin touched Sakura's lips for just a second. Things were slowly falling into place.


End file.
